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Tentative settlement in York Region Miller bus strike

TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Three months and two days after it began,
a tentative settlement to end the Miller bus strike in York Region was
reached today between Local 1587 of the Amalgamated Transit Union and
Miller Transit, which operates part of the Region's bus service under
contract to York Region Transit.

The settlement is subject to secret ballot ratification. A membership
meeting to discuss the tentative settlement and conduct the
ratification vote will be held as soon as possible, the union says. The
Local 1587 bargaining committee is recommending ratification.

"Our members want to get back to work; they have since the strike began,
which is why we offered to end the dispute through arbitration back in
early November," says Ray Doyle, President of Local 1587.

"A lot is going to come out about the inaction of the elected leaders in
the face of this civic crisis," Doyle says. "But right now our focus is
on getting a good settlement ratified and getting the buses rolling.

"I can assure the riders that the union will cooperate fully in getting
service at full capacity as quickly as possible. There will be time
later to analyze why Regional Council was missing in action for three
long months."

No details of the tentative settlement will be released until the
ratification vote has been held. If the settlement is ratified, Miller
bus service will resume in accordance with a schedule determined by the
contractor.

This tentative settlement follows hard on the heels of the Viva
settlement with ATU 113 last night. Still to be decided is the outcome
of York Region Council's determination of what happens to the 92
drivers of First Student, whose jobs are in limbo since the Region
cancelled the First contract.

"The union will be doing everything in its legal power to get
essentially the same deal for these members and get them back to work,
no matter who the contractor is," says Doyle.

"We are brothers and sisters. We do not leave our wounded on the
battlefield."